Explorers of the Realm
by mocothecat4218
Summary: Ithilia is an elf trying the best she can to grow up in the modern world. She thinks she has things figured out-until she meets Reidar, another elf. Reluctantly,she follows him back to their home world of Middle Earth, where they explore the different parts of the realm, always trying to find the parents Ithilia never knew. First in the Stars Aligning series.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my new story! This story is the first in the Stars Aligning series and takes place centuries after Lord of the Rings. **

***for reference, one elfish year is equivalent to about one hundred human years.**

Chapter One

Elves really have no place in the modern world.

I learned that the hard way, mostly because I am an elf myself.

Actually, for a long time I didn't know that there was anything different about me, but that was before I started aging in centuries. By the time I was five, I had seen almost everything-nations being built and then crumbling to the ground, times of peace, times of war, and plenty of birth and death. The really sad thing about it all was that I was always raised by human families, who aged faster than I did. They always died and I always found myself alone again.

Now, I've been alive for thirteen centuries and I've seen a lot more-most of the known history of the world. In school, I always get high marks for my ability to write essays about historical events like I actually saw them happen (sometimes I actually have). That isn't the only interesting thing about me, though.

That's barely even scratching the surface.

It all started the day a new student arrived in my eighth grade class. It was the middle of the year, two weeks after winter break, and it seemed like a regular day. While most kids were grouped around their desks, talking excitedly in loud voices about the presents they'd received and places they'd gone over the break, I was feeding our pet fish, Herman, the way I did every Monday morning. It was a job I wasn't required to do, but I liked doing it just the same.

Just then, my best friend, Stella, came over to me. "Did you hear that we're getting a new student?"

"What do you mean?" I responded, only half listening.

"Well, I heard it from Tyra who heard it from Jenny that a new student is coming today. Apparently, he was supposed to come at the beginning of the school year, but he had family emergencies that prevented him from going to school."

"For five months? Are you sure?"

She shrugged. "That's what I heard at least."

"I'm sure they just made it up to have something to talk about." This had been known to happen before, so I didn't take anything that Tyra and Jenny said seriously until I had proof. Stella had no such qualms though, as she'd believe almost anything.

"I guess we'll find out during first period."

Just then, our homeroom/first period teacher, Mr. Perry, walked to the front of the room and clapped his hands for order. "To your seats, students."

We all took our seats. I shared an excited glance with Stella-and I wasn't the only one. The rumor had spread.

"How was your winter break?" Mr. Perry asked, marking off names on his attendance sheet.

"Good." The reply was collective, although some people said it a little louder and more enthusiastically than others.

"That's excellent. Now, before we start English, I'd like to introduce you to a new student who is joining our class today. He will be with us for the rest of the year. Reidar, you can come in now."

A boy I'd never seen before stepped into the classroom, looking anywhere but at us. Immediately, the room broke out into excited murmurs and whispers. Stella elbowed me gently in the side. "He looks just like you, Ithilia."

He really did. He had blonde hair, though not quite as light as mine. He also had blue eyes, like me. However, what really made us look alike was the fact that he seemed to glow-as I did most of the time. It wasn't a very bright glow, but it was still there.

"Mr. Porter, would you tell us a little about yourself?" Mr. Perry prompted.

Reidar finally looked up. "Um…hi, I guess. In case you don't know, my name is Reidar. I just moved here last fall, but my dad was very ill so I didn't come to school. Thankfully, he's doing better now. I…like to read, I guess." He caught my eye and smiled briefly in my direction.

"Interesting. Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Porter. You can take a seat next to Miss Cameron." The teacher indicated the empty desk next to mine.

"Okay." Reidar took a seat and stared straight ahead at the white board, seeming to ignore the whispers behind his back. I had to give him credit; he was good at tuning things out.

All through first period, I felt more than saw him throw surreptitious glances my way. I tried to ignore them, even though there was something familiar about him. I couldn't place it, but I felt like I'd seen him before. That was impossible, though. I knew I'd never seen him before in my life.

Throughout the rest of the day, I kind of forgot about Reidar. He seemed to find a group of friends relatively quickly, while I was content to talk with Stella about the new camera she'd gotten for Christmas. It was a great present for her, because Stella loves photography and snaps pictures every chance she gets.

It seemed like the end of the day came too quickly.

"Are you taking the bus today?" I asked Stella. We were working on our math homework during our free period so we'd have fewer books to take home after school.

Stella nodded grimly. "Sorry." She rode the bus every other week. On weeks she got picked up from school, she often walked with me out to the school parking lot. Since I lived just a few blocks from our middle school, I always walked home. Unfortunately, today was a bus day.

"That's all right. There's always next week, right?"

"Yeah. Hey, do you want to come over on Friday for a sleepover?"

"Sure. That sounds fun. It's better than going to my cousin's soccer game in any case." Stella knew that I liked going over to her house on weekends. Her family was pretty normal. Mine…not so much. We ironed out the last few details and had just finished deciding on a drop off time when the bell ran, signaling the end of the day.

Stella grabbed her backpack. "See you tomorrow." She waved once and disappeared into the hall.

"Bye." I whispered even though I knew she couldn't hear me. I finished my last couple of math problems, packed up my various books and notebooks, and started the walk home.

It was warm for January-in the upper 30s. I didn't need my jacket for once, which was a welcome relief. I tied it around my waist as I walked, trying to ignore my heavy backpack. I was so immersed in jumping puddles of melting snow that I didn't notice that Reidar had fallen in step beside me.

"Hi." he said casually. "Do you live near here?"

"Yeah. Just a couple of streets down."

He nodded with interest and then stopped walking, scuffing his shoe on the base of a stop sign nervously. "I…have to tell you something, Ithilia. There's a reason I'm here."

"Besides being a regular student?"

"Yes, besides that. I'm here to take you back with me, to our realm."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't possibly think you're from this world, can you? Haven't you always thought you're a little different than everyone else?"

I was starting to feel a little nervous now. "Maybe. Why does it matter?"

"You're an elf. Other elves can always tell."

I didn't allow myself to consider the prospect. "No I'm not. Elves aren't real." He had to be crazy.

"You've lived for a long time, haven't you? Since the eighth century, perhaps?"

"How did you know that?"

"I know things about you. Most people in Arda do. Come back with me to our world. I'm sure you've heard of it before. Other people know of it as Middle Earth. There are other elves like us. You'll easily make friends and fit in."

"Middle Earth is from The Lord of the Rings, right?"

"Well, yes. Just because it's in a book doesn't mean it's not real, though."

I shook my head and started to walk away. "I'm not an elf. You're crazy."

"Wait." Reidar practically ran to keep up with me. "If you don't believe me, fine. However, if you come, you might be able to meet your parents."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about the slow start. The action should start to pick up in the next chapter or two.**

**Also, the tab key on my computer doesn't appear to be working, so this chapter won't have proper indents.**

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review and tell me what you think.**

Chapter 2

A light rain had started to fall. Raindrops fell on my head as I stood on the pavement, reeling. Reidar had found a way to effectively get my attention. I sighed, pulled my coat on, and picked up the pace. Reidar fell in step beside me. I didn't tell him to go away, but I didn't acknowledge his presence either. I had a lot to think about.

For years I'd wanted to know who my real parents were and what they were like. I'd been moved from one adoptive home to the next, and no matter where I went, no one seemed to know a thing about where I came from or about my parents. It was a mystery I'd always wanted to solve, but I was never quite sure how to go about doing it. Now, someone seemed to know all the answers-but he also appeared to be a little crazy.

I turned down my street and stopped in front of my house-a sprawling redbrick with a number 3 facing the road. "You're welcome to come in, if you'd like. Just be sure to wipe your feet." Reidar nodded and followed me inside.

The familiar portraits that lined the front hall stared out at me as I hung my coat on a hook near the door. There were 8-one for each of Malcolm's deceased brothers and sisters (he still had two that were still alive). The youngest, a girl named Sally, had died when she was only six years old. However, she looked so alive in her portrait, staring out at me with bright and lively eyes. I always found her just the slightest bit creepy. Reidar didn't seem to be fazed, though. "Malcolm, I'm home! I brought a…friend." I called.

My adoptive father, Malcolm, popped his head out of the kitchen at the end of the hallway. "It's nice to see you. Did you have a good day at school?"

I nodded. "Yeah. This is Reidar."

"Hello, Reidar. Can't say I've seen you around recently. Are you new?"

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, sir." Reidar replied politely.

"It's nice to meet you as well. Would you like some corn cookies? They're fresh out of the oven."

I could faintly see the cookies from where I was standing. They were covered with a fine layer of char. "We have a lot of homework to get through. Maybe later." I headed downstairs to the den, hoping to keep the conversation as short as it could possibly be.

"Your dad is really cool." Reidar said once we'd gone down a couple flights of stairs.

I shrugged. "To each his own, I guess." For as long as I'd known him, Malcolm had always been a little…strange. He was unemployed but had apparently made a fortune off some rare jewels he'd found in the rainforest twenty years ago. Sometimes I wondered if the jungle air had gone to his head, as he now spent most of his days either in the kitchen making inedible food or in the garage tinkering around with some project he almost never finished. He was also majorly obsessed with dead languages and had been known to start talking in Latin while my friends were over.

The den was cozy enough. The large space was sprinkled with soft chairs and couches that were perfect for reclining in while I did homework or read a book. However, Reidar's eyes seemed drawn to the massive map of Middle Earth that covered one wall. "Where did you get that?" he asked in disbelief.

"It's been hanging up for ages. Why? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's nothing, but…I think I might have seen that exact map before."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Reidar strode across the room and ripped up one corner of the map.

"Be careful with that! Do you know how mad Malcolm would get if I broke it?" I asked.

"Relax. It's not broken." He pointed to a brown coffee stain near the bottom edge that I hadn't noticed before. "I spilled that on there when I was younger-the first and only time I went to the Woodland Realm."

"Where's that?"

He indicated a vast expanse of forest on the map, labelled Mirkwood in black letters. "Technically, it's known as the Wood of Greenleaves now. It's a huge forest. There are so many trees and paths. Everything's so calm and peaceful, especially now that the darkness is gone. It's not as peaceful as Rivendell was, but it's still amazing. I've always wanted to go back."

"You act like you've been there."

"That's because I have-and so have you, if you'd just try to remember."  
I shook my head. "I can't."

"Try."

I focused as hard as I could on sifting through my memories, trying to remember the place he was describing. "Reidar, I'm telling you, I can't."

"You're trying too hard. Let go of what you believe is true. It's blinding you from what is true."

"What does that even mean?"

"You can remember if you want to. There's nothing stopping you. Please, Ithilia. Just try."

Reluctantly, I let my mind wander. I even closed my eyes, to see if that would help. After a few minutes of nothing happening, I was about to give it up as a lost cause. Just then, I felt something on the edges of my brain. It emerged as part of a memory of someone leading me down a dirt path, pointing out different stones and trees. _"This is where your mother and I grew up, Ithilia…"_

Gently, Reidar touched my arm and jolted me back to the present. "Can you remember now?"

"Yes, but why was I there of all places?"

"You had family that lived there. Do you remember Ithilien, where you name comes from?"

I prepared myself to go back among my memories but Reidar started talking again. "Never mind. I think it might be a little much just now."

"Someone…I think it was one of my parents…was telling me that they'd grown up in the forest. Who were my parents?"

"I'll tell you when we reach Arda."

"How about you tell me now?"

"I can't. You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"I don't need you thinking that I'm crazy. I promise that's the first thing I do when we get there. I'll tell you everything."

"Fine." I hated to admit that he was probably right, the way that things had been going today.

"So, are you ready to go to Middle Earth?"

"Wait-now?"

"Why not?"

"I'm not packed."

"Can you be ready in five minutes?"

"Ten. Don't push it."

I ran back upstairs and up to my room as fast as I could. Right now, it looked like I was packing to go to a place that probably didn't exist with someone I hardly knew. I wondered why I wasn't freaking out more. I was actually kind of excited.

Unable to concentrate, I threw things into my backpack at random-a few outfits, books, notebooks, and my winter jacket-no one can ever be too careful. I was getting more and more excited. By the time I went back downstairs, I was practically hopping from foot to foot with excitement. "Ready."

"Good." Reidar was studying the map, muttering softly under his breath. He nodded and seemed to decide something. "Take my hand."

"What?"

"Just do it. Please, don't ask any more questions for a couple of minutes. I'm going to need full concentration."

I did as he instructed and watched as he waved a hand over the map, chanting softly in a language I didn't recognize. The map began to glow yellow, and the glow grew brighter and brighter the longer the chanting went on. It began to engulf everything-first the rest of the map and then the rest of the room. Eventually I had to close my eyes against the harsh light.

Suddenly, I felt myself being wrenched up and away from the den. I was flying through the air-but only for a few moments. Before I knew what was happening, I had fallen hard on soft ground.

"Ow…"I muttered, nursing a bruised side. I was kneeling on a patch of grass near a sandy beach. Birds were singing in some nearby trees, and a soft wind blew through my hair. The den was nowhere to be found. "Reidar, where are we?"

He was looking around in awe, wearing an expression that clearly said _Wow, that actually worked_. "Welcome to Middle Earth, Ithilia."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****The Lord of the Rings.**

**The tab key is still broken, as you can probably tell.**

**This chapter is a little shorter than most, but don't worry-they'll get longer as the story progresses. **

Chapter 3

The most noticeable difference about Middle Earth was its significant lack of people-especially on beautiful beachfront property like this. Everything was silent except for the waves on the shore and the ever present birdsong. It was peaceful and quiet-almost too good a place to be true.

"Okay…so, where in Middle Earth are we?" I asked. I was definitely a casual fan of Lord of the Rings, so while I could name a few obvious places, I really didn't know much else.

"The Gray Havens. All the ships sailed from here." Reidar was looking off into the distance at something I couldn't see. "Not anymore though."

"What ships?"

"Elven ships-bound for Valinor across the sea."

"And what is Valinor, exactly?"

"A haven for elves who have grown weary of Middle Earth-which all of us do, sooner or later. Immortality bears its own curse. You remember everything, but you can also never forget." He walked out to the water's edge. It lapped against his feet in small waves. "Come in to the water-it feels really nice."

"I'd rather not, thanks." Instinctively, I took another step away from the water. I'd always hated water and tried to avoid it whenever possible. It always filled me with a deep sense of despair-as if I'd lost something very close to me and would never get it back. "So, you said you would explain everything to me once we got here. Well, here we are."

"Do you believe me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you believe that all this is real-the water, the beach, the trees…everything?"

"Yes, I guess so. Why does it matter?"

He ignored me. "This is going to sound crazy, but it's the full truth. I wouldn't lie to you-especially not about something as important as this."

"All right. Where's the shocker?"

Reidar drew a line in the sand with his toe. "Your mother was-is- Eealinna, daughter of Fedel. Your father is Legolas Thranduilion."

"You're making this up."

"Why would I do something like that? Do I strike you as the kind of person who would joke around-especially about family matters?"

"Fine. So, let's say that I do believe you. Where are my parents now? I'm guessing they sailed…like in the books?" I tried to call on my limited knowledge of the series.

"That's just it-I don't know. At least, I don't. At the time I left Middle Earth, no one did."

"So you've sailed then?"

"No. At the Great Division, everyone split. Elves went to Valinor, dwarves retreated into the mountains, and it looked like men would have the country to themselves. However, a door appeared near Minas Tirith one day that led to a different world-your own. That's the door I went through-along with most of the men."

"So this place is deserted then?"

"Not totally. People still live here-but they are few and far between."

"Why am I here? How can I find my parents if no one knows where they went?"

"Well…there was an old story that there would be a trade just before the Great Division-two elves from this world would be traded for two men from another world. After a thousand years, the door would open again and they would go back to their own worlds. Their task, once they reached their original home, was to create a map of their homeland. When they're completed, these maps are supposed to do something important. Your guess is as good as mine as to what that might be."

"You said there would be elves here. You said I'd make friends."

"They will come back-once the map is completed. I'm sure of it."

"You lied to me."

"I didn't lie-I just twisted the truth. Anyway, there's something else about the map that you should know: in all the old legends, it was said to show the way to those who were lost."

My heart skipped a beat. "So…do you think I could find my parents?"  
"This is all just guesswork, but…I think you might be able to." He eyed me nervously, like he was afraid I'd bolt. As if. I wouldn't know where to go, even if I wanted to run away.

"This is crazy, but…count me in."

Reidar smiled for the first time all day. "Good. We'll look around the Havens tomorrow." Within minutes, he had started a fire in a small pit of trampled grass. We took turns roasting potatoes he seemed to have gotten out of nowhere.

"Reidar, what happened to the people who are from Earth? Did they go back, too?" I asked after we'd eaten in silence for a while.

He shrugged. "Probably."

"How did you find all of this out-about the map and everything?"

"I…there was a reason I haven't come to school all year, and it wasn't my father. He's been dead a long time."

"What happened?" I asked. I knew I was treading on dangerous ground, and I was prepared not to be surprised if he didn't answer.

"I…didn't go through that door by choice. I was picked by some force bigger than myself. Let's just say that my dad wasn't so lucky." Reidar stood up abruptly and stamped away the fire's ashes. "Get some sleep. We'll want to start early tomorrow."

I nodded. ""Night, Reidar."

"'Night, Ithilia."

I rolled over on the grass and tried to sleep. I thought I'd have a hard time falling asleep since my brain was still spinning with everything that Reidar had told me. However, the sound of the tide coming in and out like clockwork soon lulled me to sleep.

I couldn't wait to see what the next day would bring.

I couldn't wait to make that map.


	4. The Gray Havens

**Disclaimer: see previous chapter.**

Chapter 4

The next day, I was up before the sun, as was Reidar. We were both too excited to wait until it was sufficiently light out. The light of the predawn sky gave us a little light to see by, though; that was all we really needed, anyway.

The Gray Havens had once been a fairly large city on the shores of the sea. The streets were still paved and reasonably well maintained, although ivy and other plants sprang up from between cracks in the pavement every few feet. White buildings were built in uniform rows next to each other, all about the same size and shape. It would have been a nice place, if it hadn't been so deathly quiet. There was no one out and about, no animals scrounging for food, and no children playing in the streets.

"Does anyone live here anymore?" I asked, passing an old tavern. A weathered wooden sign hanging on the front door depicted a picture of a white dove.

"One or two families. One of them runs a museum. Come on-that might be a good place for us to start." I followed Reidar down the city's many cobblestoned paths until we reached a building that was rather low and sprawling. A girl a few years younger than us was sitting on the front steps, humming as she washed a cracked porcelain dish with a blue rag. She beamed when she saw us heading towards her and ran inside. I could hear her say "Mum, we have company!" before she came back out and bowed to us respectfully. "I'm Freda. Welcome to the Gray Havens Historical Museum."

We followed her inside. The museum was comprised of one room, filled with tables. The tables were cluttered with all kinds of memorabilia. There were children's toys, kites, clothing, books, maps, and weaponry. There was even a large gray ship standing proudly in one corner.

Freda took us through the items on the tables one by one. "Most of these were used by residents of the city hundreds of years ago-mostly elves. They liked to live near the sea-it made them feel closer to Valinor. Then again, you two are elves as well, I suppose. How come I haven't seen you in the area before? In a city like this, there aren't many strangers."

"We're just passing through." Reidar said easily. "We wanted…information."

"About what?"

"Just…the city, mostly."

Just then, someone called Freda's name from another part of the building and she grimaced. "That's my mum. She'll be wanting me for something-probably to wash the rest of the dishes. I'll be back out when I can. Stay as long as you like." Without another word, she rushed through a door that appeared to blend in with the wood around it. I guessed that it led to the rest of the building, and probably her house.

Reidar and I browsed for a little bit. Everything was interesting, and seemed to have a story to go along with it. I found the boat most intriguing and kept coming back to it. It was made of fine gray wood that had been sanded until it was almost soft to the touch. It wasn't a very large ship as it only had the deck and a few rooms below deck, but it seemed cozy. I could imagine sailing to the end of the world in it. I couldn't help but wonder if my parents really had sailed in a ship like that. So much of my life was a mystery, though. I had too many questions-and too few answers.

I didn't know that we'd spent hours in the museum until Freda came out to see us again. She looked surprised that we were still there. "Did you find something that interested you? You've been here almost five hours, you know."

"Well…do you have any more information on the boat?" I asked.

"It isn't a real one. I mean, it can float, but it wasn't used by any elves. This is a replica of the kind of ships that most elves sailed to Valinor. It was made by my father for one of his best friends who was an elf. He had planned to sail for Valinor in a few years' time. However, his friend never got to sail in it as he was killed in an orc attack five months later. To help cope with the grief, my father decided to finish the boat, in case his friend ever came back from the dead and wanted his ship. We call it the Ship of Dreams."

"So your father was a shipbuilder, then?" Reidar asked.

"Yes. One of the best."

"Was he alive during the Great Division?"

"For the latter part of it. He didn't build many ships, but those he did build were top quality. You couldn't find better ones in all of the Havens-except for the ones built by Cirdan himself, of course."

"Who's Cirdan?" I asked.

Freda looked at me in disbelief. "Cirdan was only one of the best shipbuilders who ever lived. He was one of the wisest elves in Middle Earth for a long time."

"You seem to know a lot about this place."

"Yes. As you might have noticed, there aren't really a lot of people around here that I can play with, so I learned everything I could about our history instead. Where are you heading?"

"As far east as we can. We kind of have a mission."

She looked impressed. "Good luck with it then. Would you like to stay for lunch?"

"Sure." We followed her into her house.

Freda ladled stew into three tin bowls and set them on a wooden table that looked out at the city and the sea beyond. "Mum's out looking for food. She doesn't really like visitors all that much, so you might want to eat quickly."

The task was easily accomplished. Ten minutes later, Reidar and I were leaving the museum and saying good bye to Freya.

"It was nice meeting you." Reidar said politely. "Thank you for the stew. It was delicious."

Freda smiled happily. "You're welcome. Good luck with your mission."

"Thanks." We waved to her a final time before she scrambled up the stairs and back into her house.

We explored for the rest of the afternoon. The most interesting thing I found was a small doll wearing a dress made of leaves. She had a face painted on using berry juice. For some reason I couldn't quite explain, I wanted to keep it. We didn't find anything about my parents, though.

At dinner, I couldn't help being a little discouraged. I'd been sure that we would have found something here-hopefully a few answers. Despondent, I only picked at my smoked fish.

"Don't give up." Reidar said, trying hard to stay positive. "We'll find something. There has to be someone who knows what happened to your parents. We just haven't found them yet. Maybe we'll have better luck in Eryn Lasgalen, or Ithilien. We've only just started. You can't expect to get lucky on the first day."

I shrugged. "Still, I thought-"

"There will be plenty of opportunities along the way. We'll find something somewhere else. In any case, let's get started on the map." He rolled out a huge piece of parchment and began to draw rough borders as an outline. Carefully, I labelled the sea and cordoned off a small part of the coastline. I wrote GRAY HAVENS in small letters inside the shaded area.

"I also have presents for you." Reidar handed me a bow and a quiver of arrows. They were a little big for me, but not by much.

"Thanks, but…I don't know how to shoot a bow."

Reidar shook his head in disbelief. "Didn't they teach you anything on earth?"  
"Apparently not."

"Don't worry about it. I'll teach you. I was one of the best in my day, you know."

"That's all very nice and all, but what would I need a bow and arrow for? I mean, there's nothing dangerous here, is there? Everyone's gone."

Reidar looked around nervously. "Maybe not everyone."

For the first time on this entire adventure, I started to feel just the slightest bit nervous.


End file.
